Anyone have a Raby rebuild yet? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Jake Raby · 06-22-2009, 07:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikenOH

Did you get Phil's issues get sorted out yet?

No... His engine is making way more power than it was supposed to.. More than we had planned and that helped us find a few more inadequacies in the M96 engine.

Long story short, it'll be even faster next time he goes out with the 3.6 but for the next couple of events he'll be running a 3.2 test engine of mine while we wait for some new valvetrain parts and etc to be finished up.

mts · 06-22-2009, 07:57 AM

Jake,

I'm going to go the 3.2->3.6 route with you as soon as the cash is available. I didn't see it on the website right now, but what kind of power are you getting from those in a dependable streetable format? I was reading about the new Boxster S in Road & Track and that sub 13 second 1/4 mile is pretty sweet. I actually like my anniversary edition better than the newer cars, but it would be nice to have similar power to the newer cars.

Thanks,
Mike

MikenOH · 06-22-2009, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jake Raby

No... His engine is making way more power than it was supposed to.. More than we had planned and that helped us find a few more inadequacies in the M96 engine.

Long story short, it'll be even faster next time he goes out with the 3.6 but for the next couple of events he'll be running a 3.2 test engine of mine while we wait for some new valvetrain parts and etc to be finished up.

Too much power.. something all Boxster owners wished they had a problem with

I had a chance to look over his car and it looked very fast on the track (Mid-OH).

Hope it gets sorted out since there are probably others that would like to move up to a 3.6L motor.

Jake Raby · 09-13-2010, 04:59 PM

My specialty is the M96 engine, the GT3 isn't of much interest to me.

When we build engines the customer just needs to supply a car and a core engine, it is our job to design the package and sort the parts.

Lobo1186 · 09-13-2010, 06:40 PM

thanks for clarifying. I was under the impression that the gt3 motor was m96 based. my mistake.

so what M96 motor is best for you to work your magic on? is there any that has more potential than others?

Jake Raby · 09-14-2010, 07:34 AM

Our procedures make all M96 engines equal.. Pretty much we can start with anything and end up with a standardized, upgraded unit.

smshirk · 09-26-2010, 06:52 PM

Revised the post

smshirk · 09-26-2010, 07:32 PM

I have one of Jake's rebuilt engines. I have put about 2000 miles on it so far and not only am I not complaining, I have been raving about it to everyone I know. I opted to keep the stock exhaust, only because I don't like the drone of the after market systems. I have the lightweight flywheel which contributes greatly to the throttle response and torque perceived in street driving. I chose every other available performance option at the time.

I did not have a blown engine at the time I decided to go for the 3.6 upgrade. This 2001 986S is the third M96 car I've had, and while I never had an engine failure, it was always in the back of my mind. My first Boxster was a 97 and I loved the way it drove and handled but just didn't have the uumpf I was used to. I decided to get one of Jake's engines the first time I read about the work being done in conjunction with L&N. Going for the full blown performance upgrade can be an expensive proposition for a car that is depreciating in value, but I can't think of a better car to spend the money on than a Boxster. The chassis and brakes are up to the task of the additional power already, and while I have not heard Jake say so, I would imagine the upgraded internals would make it feasible to go to the next level of performance with a single turbo.

I don't have any specific performance numbers right now, but I can attest that the car is much quicker and easier to drive fast than my E46 M3 or the 996 I sold while Jake was building my motor. In fact, I believe it is faster than the 930 I had back in the 90s but that was a long time ago and my memory isn't as good as it once was. I know for sure it is easier to drive hard. On the highway it is phenomenal. I can cruise at 70 in 6th gear and pass easily and quickly without a downshift. It is of course a lot more fun to drive in 4th gear at 70 and blow past traffic but in 6th I can get close to 30 MPG. As I said previously I kept the stock exhaust at least for now, but the sound of the intake is so intoxicating, along with the additional displacement, that I have a very hard time keeping my foot out of the accelerator just driving around town. Driven hard the sound reminds me of cars worth 10 times the money.

Reading here that Jake is concentrating on helping DIYers get going with these upgrades is great news. There are thousands of these cars out there that can be bought for not very much money. If you can build an engine yourself and get it back in the car you could have one very nice and highly reliable machine for the cost of a Camry or less. If I could get away with it and stay married I would pick up a 996 and do the same thing, but I need to sell a few cars and a motorcycle before I can even think about it.
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